Former Leeds United loanee Michael Gray fears that comments made by Andrea Radrizzani could undermine Paul Heckingbottom's role at Elland Road.

Heckingbottom landed the Leeds job just over a month ago, replacing the sacked Thomas Christiansen, who paid the price for a post-Christmas slump, which derailed the club's play-off hopes.

Parachuted into Elland Road with a lengthy injury and suspension list and a tough run of fixtures to start his career in the Leeds dugout with, Heckingbottom has so far only won one of his seven matches in charge, as Leeds have dropped to 13th in the Championship table.

Heckingbottom's focus is now likely to be on building for next season as he assesses which players he wants to keep in his squad.

That comes as Radrizzani aired a number of complaints about the playing squad, saying that a number of players had not repaid their faith the club have shown them in an interview with Jim White .

Gray had two loan spells at Elland Road

"As a club we support them in everything," he said.

"We gave them long-term contracts, we supported them during our pre-season camp in Spain, we did everything they wanted but we didn’t get back their commitment, their passion and spirit, particularly in the last game I can mention [against Middlesbrough].

"The most important game we played poorly, and for me it was the bottom of the season because there was no commitment, no passion, no spirit.

“I don’t want players in my team representing Leeds United with this behaviour."

And Gray fears that the comments from the Leeds owner could undermine Heckingbottom.

"I think a few of the points there as well, it sounds like he's going to go in the dressing room," he said on talkSPORT.

"When I was at Wolves Steve Morgan came into the dressing room. We went 4 or 5 games without winning, but what I think that did was it demeaned the manager a little bit. It took away a little bit of his power.

"Because what happens in a dressing room with the manager is that the manager will say 'look lads, things aren't going well,' because he's working with us on a daily basis, the manager. The chairman's not. And I know it's his club, so if he feels that is the right move to go down, the right avenue to go down, to say 'listen guys, the manager's said what he's had to say to you, we've lost a manager, a new manager has come in, we've tried to turn things round, it's not happening for us', if he thinks that's wrong then he goes into the dressing room, then we need to sort it out.

Heckginbottom has had a tough first month at Leeds (Image: Eddie Greville)

"If you don't sort it out - whether he points fingers or not, I don't know - he might go right 'because you're not going to be at this club next season, you're not going to be at the club' but then on the flipside is would he go into the dressing room and say 'lads, you've been brilliant for the last six weeks, you've won six in a row'?

"You're going into a club like Leeds. I was a team-mate of Paul's so I know really well," Gray told talkSPORT. "He's done a great job at Barnsley, working with a very small budget, but this is a huge step up for Paul. Massive football club.

"I hope he's up for it. What might go against him is that when he's losing games is his background. He's a Barnsley lad. So when he starts losing games they'll be on his back, absolutely. Only time is going to tell. "

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